1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved photographing apparatus capable of photographing still pictures (still picture photography) and motion pictures (motion picture photography) and having an image stabilizing feature.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cameras recently have been provided with an image stabilizing feature. Image stabilizers which correct for image blur include an electronic image stabilizer, which controls an image output signal, and an optical image stabilizer, which uses a vertical angle variable prism (variangle prism). Both types of image stabilizers can effectively correct for camera shake in accordance with controlled photographic conditions, such as panning or tilting and stationary photography when the camera is attached to a tripod.
Many recent cameras are capable of photographing still pictures and motion pictures, including video cameras capable of photographing still pictures, and digital still cameras capable of photographing motion pictures. Such cameras likely will become increasingly widespread in the future.
Desired image stabilizer features for still picture photography and motion picture photography are not the same, and are in fact somewhat opposite of each other. Accordingly, image stabilization control typically is adapted only for either still picture photography or motion picture photography.
For motion picture photography, traceability, by which a photographer's intentional camera work, such as panning and tilting, can be kept track of, is highly desired in image stabilization, in addition to a camera shake correction.
For this purpose, a frequency response of an image stabilizer system often changes to a high-frequency response so that low-frequency camera shake during camera work such as panning and tilting is not corrected for.
For still picture photography, on the other hand, an image stabilizer preferably makes maximum use of its active range to correct for low-frequency camera shake having a relatively large amplitude in addition to small vibration, thereby achieving a low-frequency response in which subject image blurring can be reduced as much as possible.
Since typical cameras capable of photographing still pictures and motion pictures have an image stabilizing feature adapted only to be operable for either still picture photography or motion picture photography whichever one is mainly featured by the subject cameras; for example, a still picture photographed by a video camera which mainly features motion picture photography leads to image blurring with lower resolution because image stabilization is not fully achieved in a low-frequency region.
On the other hand, for motion picture photography using a digital still camera, which is mainly designed for still picture photography, a high-frequency response is not satisfactorily achieved, thereby less precisely defining the angle of view, so that desired quality pictures are not generated.